What stage is characterized by a speller beginning to use conventional alternatives for representing sounds?

The transitional stage is characterized by spellers starting to use conventional alternatives for representing sounds. At this point in their development, children begin to move beyond phonetic spelling and incorporate more standard spelling patterns. They still rely on phonetic insights, but they also begin to recognize and apply common spellings for familiar words, understanding that words can be represented using conventional forms.

During this stage, students typically demonstrate a growing awareness of the relationship between phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters), along with an understanding of common word structures and rules. For example, a child might start spelling "going" as "goin," recognizing the typical pattern of the "ing" ending but making adjustments based on their developing knowledge. This emerging ability to incorporate standard spelling demonstrates their progression toward more fluent and accurate writing.